Logline
Desperately trying to reunite his separated family, Santi - a Brazilian immigrant - turns to the depths of Miami's Biscayne Bay for a solution.
11 minutes
Action Thriller
Thomas Hall & Finn Zuccarini
Thomas Hall
Erik Potteiger
August, 2025 - Miami, FL
Runtime:
Genre:
Writers & Directors:
Editor:
Original Film Score:
Production:
Synopsis
Santi, a Brazilian immigrant, believes a solution to his harsh reality lies beneath the surface of Miami’s colorful Biscayne Bay. While mysterious local divers search the waters for hidden valuables, Santi works tirelessly at a Key Biscayne marina to support his younger sister and deported father. His restless friend, Mike, refuses to work, getting them both fired and forcing Santi to consider a desperate alternative. Haunted by memories of a border patrol raid that separated his family, Santi agrees to Mike’s plan for quick cash. As local divers clash in Biscayne Bay, the dangers of Miami’s underwater world surface. At sunrise, Santi and Mike dive into the surreal depths, chasing lobsters that vanish into coral. Refusing to leave empty-handed, Santi uncovers a mysterious package...
Key Rats was made in Miami, for Miami created by a local cast and crew.
The film thrives off Miami's natural color palette, using underwater cinematography to reveal what lies beneath the surface of Biscayne Bay.
The editing style reflects the rapidly changing environment in Miami, cutting together sudden bursts of color and bright lightning.
Directors' Statement
Miami is a city in constant motion. Filmed entirely on Key Biscayne and across Biscayne Bay, Key Rats thrives on Miami's fast-paced nature: unpredictable, vivid, and impossible to contain.
Pink sunsets transform into dark blue skies, and powerful storms roll in without warning. Miami’s colorful environment pushes the film's authentic rhythm, using nature as a driving narrative force.
Amidst the city’s beauty lies a harsh reality, one shaped by threats of deportation and the constant pressure to survive. Underwater cinematography reveals what lies beneath Biscayne Bay’s surface: sunlit and visible by day, dark and mysterious at night.
Key Rats is the beginning of a larger story, one that continues to explore Miami's unique relationships between people and place. Our goal is to continue capturing powerful stories in unique and natural environments.
